Leadership lessons in humility, listening, and resilience

Each week, we will delve into the reading list of finance professionals from around the world. This week, we hear from Holly Fillipovich, CPA, CGMA, the director of finance and business operations at The Ziegenfelder Co., a family-owned producer of ice pops in Wheeling, West Virginia. Here is a sampling of content that has resonated with her recently:

• “Why Elon Musk Encourages His Employees to Tell Him Exactly What He’s Doing Wrong”: Tone at the top includes the ability to value the voice that can fuel innovation and engagement, and improve overall performance. The CEO of Tesla has said he wants to develop such a culture.


• “On Humility”: Fillipovich said she is most inspired by leaders who show exceptional character, and that includes being humble. Executive coach Mike Ettore writes about how humility is an essential leadership trait. “Leaders who come from humility use their success for the greater good,” Fillipovich said.
  


• “3 Factors That Make Costco America’s Best Employer”: Fillipovich recommended this article because it emphasised building strong organisational culture and valuing employees. Consultant Michael Lee Stallard wrote about how a focus on culture helped Costco move ahead of Google on a ranking of top large employers in the US.


• “Adam Grant: Resilience Is the Secret to Success. Here Are 2 Ways to Improve Yours”: “Because dealing with change, loss, or failure is an inevitable part of life, being resilient equips individuals to grow in the face of the challenge,” Fillipovich said.